firing flash

[mro]

The only one part of weapon that I cannot find in general include and in scripts definitions is the "flash_1", the shooting effect.
It seems "borning like a "standalone structure" because cannot find any track about this item, and it appears just putting it in the 3D like a basic object.
I mean that must be somewhere an INI, or include, or definition script, or a simple TXT where this item is listed and defined.. and where to change some of its props.
But WHERE They're two days that I'm searching for it anywhere: just some small sentences about flash_rot in scripts (its rotation) and some weapons in weap list, but nothing about its "structure and creation", nor in shaders, ptc.. really strange.

[Zybero]

Well, you couldn't find it? Textures - Flare - Flash_1

Also, in VC2 flashes shouldn't be on the weapon part, but is mentioned in 3Ds Max as dummys named: "Muzzle1 and Muzzle2" At the top of the weapon barrel.

The outflying bullets, is controlled by the script of course, but also the dummys: "ejector1 and ejector2", these two decide where the empty bullets should fly out.

....Where did you search for Flash_1?

Searching...!

[mro]

Okay, I know the muzzle process, I also added another two muzzle (I guess that
muzzle3 and muzzle4 work as muzzle1 and muzzle2 (just modifying void in script), but normally the flash in 3ds
is linked to barrel object and not to the muzzle (the only case where it's linked
to muzzle is dual M2C50 !MWP).
so how to add flashes? one is easy, just draw it in 3ds, but more?

I BETTER EXPLAIN HERE

Thankyou, but probably we're are misunderstanding about this matter:
my fault: my explanation was "too short".

Theme: creation of a multi weapons (multi barrels) machinegun, but for VC1.
I know that in VC2 there are: M2C50 dual is an example: infact in VC2 sc_global.h
in MWP structure there are a couple of additions (like dword *multi, and void
*muzzle_multi) to help the multi-barrel weapons like M2C50 dual.
But in VC1, by default, there is just one barrel, just one muzzle, just one flash.
So I tried to add them: I'm not expert on scripting, but deeply studied all samples,
sdk and includes and was able to create 4 muzzle's (void per 4, then SC_NOD_GET per 4,
then cinfo explaining that muzzle_nod is 1, 2, 3, and4.. probably a complicated way,
but I wasn't able to do better).. what is important is that they work properly:
the smoke is created per each muzzle, and script is compiled.

But it is not the same thing for flash: so first of all let's try to explain what I
meant by "where is flash origin":
I know that flash is and object, and created in 3dsMax properly, adding the right
textures (I made this weeks ago, no problem).. I also know that it is separated from
weapon.
(To tell you the situation I studied so depply that know quite well the whole structure,
either for scropt sentences and for the bes.. for script I studied from SDK).

But what I mean is "don't find where the flash is described as script, not in script,
nor in includes or in ini/txt of weapons: so how it's origined the "object" is clear,
what is not clear is "how it works".
To better explain: flash must be described somewhere as script: but in MWP script you
can find only "flash_rot_step", which is just the float for flash rotation.
But this flash must be created somewhere!!
If you draw it, it appears and works (if just one), if you don't draw it script doesn't
request the flash and works the same: this means, from my understanding, that "the first
flash script is somewhere and intended by default" (understand what I mean?).

It is not necessarily linked to muzzle, and it has not necessarily strict relation with
muzzle from my understanding: infact it can be linked either to guns / barrels (the x
rotation nod) or to muzzle.
Actually if linked to muzzle its rotation is wrong, while it is stright in barrel
direction when linked to barrel: but it works, flashes, disappears when you don't shoot
in both cases... infact in MWP it's linked to guns, and just in dual MWP they're linked
to muzzles (if more than one).

Ejector: I didn't find it in VC1, what is it?
I ask because the second problem I have is "the bullets trace": as per flash it appears
just one instead of more, even if I have more muzzles: this makes me undestand that:
- muzzle and flash are separated matters
- flash and bullets trace come together (guess), but independently from muzzles.

This structure isn't clear to me and these are my questions: also studied hierarchy, but
it's correct.
1) how to duplicate flashes? (also tried to duplicate float "flash_rot_step")
2) how to duplicate the bullets trace
in VC1?

Thank You and sorry for lenght of this post, but needed to clarify.

[mro]

pending

[Zybero]

You're trying to say that muzzle is where the bullet leaves the barrel?

Ejector1 (and Ejector2) Is only one dummy in VC1 Named ^PTC_02
Muzzle is a dummy named ^PTC_01

[mro]

FlyOffCartridge function:

MWP BESA

gCartPos = SC_NOD_Get(info->master_nod,"^PTC_1");

...

cart.from = gCartPos;


.. so in this case the Cartridge Fly Off is from ^PTC_1 (BESA)

M16

ptc[1] = SC_NOD_Get(info->obj,"^PTC_02");

...

cart.from = ptc[1];

.. and in this case the Cartridge Fly Off is from PTC_2 (M16)

This is what I mean.

meaning of muzzle (where starts the trace of shoot, the bullets outgoing)
and meaning of ejector (where empty cartridges are ejected)
you wrote "ejector, where the empty bullets..." but you meant the empty
cartridge.. probably here theree was the misunderstanding.

So please let's clarify, or my poor experience in scripting makes me crazy:
1) muzzle or ^PTC_2 = trace of the shoot / bullets
2) ejector or ^PTC_1 = ejection of the used cart's
and so, to conclude the clarification for me:
3) what "makes the flash working"
(means that in 3d it's linked to gun, but obviously it is "just an object always visible in the scene" if not working, or "works only when you shoot" if working: so which is the nod that activates it: muzzle? other?)
4) what makes the shoot trace (the red line of the shoot bullet), as above
JUST THESE FOUR REPLIES ARE ENOUGH TO CLARIFY

[Zybero]

Well i made some pics to show what i mean:

This is the VC1 M16 (Looks good in 3Ds Max, huh?)
img94.imageshack.us/i/m16vc1.png/

This is the M16 turned around so i can show you.
^PTC_01 = Outgoing "Deadly bullet"
^PTC_02 = Empty Cartridge

img197.imageshack.us/i/m16vc1dummy.png/

This is the M16 in VC2 (High poly ;D )

img697.imageshack.us/i/m16vc2.png/

This is the M16 Turned around (Again)
Showing Muzzle1, Muzzle2, Ejector1, Ejector2 (There is two more Col1, and col2 but their to tell the game to how he should hold the gun)
Hope you understand now

img690.imageshack.us/i/m16vc2dummy.png/

The mounted "Besa" or in VC2: ZB-37, must be coded in another way since the ^PTC_01 is the Empty Cratridge, and Muzzle is Outgoing bullet, but there is also 2 more dummys wich i think is for the "Grab-on"

As you can see in VC1 the Flash is on the gun in 3Ds Max, but for VC2 their not, wich means that the flash must be coded to show at Muzzle1 (Or muzzle2)

[mro]

The other dummies have their function and I will explain you later.
About ^PTC 1, 2 muzzle, etc.. we¡¦re saying the same thing.. mean the same meaning.
Ejector wasn¡¦t clear for me just because I was talking of VC1 and you of VC2, and in VC1 it doesn¡¦t exist.
All rest is clear about these dummies: to make you understand I already made a modif of Besa working, and other guns working, quite all is clear to me, thank You.
BUT
Sorry, still not clear from what depends the creation of flash: I'm searching a sort of RULE for flash.. because only when I understood the system of flash creation I can
create the variation for second, third, fourth flash..

TO EVEN MORE CLARIFY:
VC1
To duplicate "four dummies named muzzle_1, _2, .." is quite easy, and I've done.
It works in PTC, when you add smoke, adding 4 lines instead of 1 for muzzle smoke.

But it is not the same for "real muzzle", because just one of them has the bullet trace, the one you assign as "nod_muzzle", recalling the sc_global.h.

So I must find the way to take the VOID nod-muzzle of sc_global.h and multiply per 4: isit there a system to say "take this void and make it four times"? a declaration on header of script which says: "there is one nod_muzzle in include and now I want to use this void four times" or "add another include where to add the other 3 nod_muzzle1, 2, 3".

Same for the flash: just one works.
The only solution I found to make it four is to create an object made of four flashes, and call it "flash_1".. but it's rotation is very bad of course, because it rotates on central axis of 4, and not on proper axis.

[mro]

MRO
In VC2 is easy, because in sc_global.h / MWP structure, there are two more void: multi (for multiweapons) and muzzle_multi (for multi muzzle), but not in VC1.
So I (that don’t know enough about scripting) see just three solutions:
1) to make the weapon like “four separated weapons”, as in the two weapons on heli: same all but different muzzle and guns, but with same entry: I really guess it doesn’t work because you have one entry nod for four weapons)
2) the possibility of an extern h or inc / or a method in scripting header which I don’t know if exists, that prepares the muzzle2, 3, and 4: but at the moment this should be really too much for my poor experience on the matter

[mro]

sorry but what really I still didn't understand is 3pc fpv weapons: from my understanding the one used by player when choose the weapon is fpv and the 3pv is an usable object which the player can pick from scene

[Zybero]

FPV is the First Person View....
3PV means 3 Person View, the view people look at you, all guns have these two files.

Yes its 3PV you pick up from the ground but thats the because its made to look at not to hold in your hands (First Person View)


So to clarify:

FPV = First Person View (Hold in your hands)

3PV = Third Person View (To look at from other people sight)

[mro]

great Zybero, thankYou!

[Chavez]

Sounds to me like your weapon only needs these dummys attached to them in 3dsmax. Then the dummies must be properly named (as mentioned above ^PTC_01). It may be that these effects are hard-coded into the game engine. (You may find the textures, but cant control the rate at which the flashes occur, or the projectiles come off the weapon)...

Did you find a proper naming convention for VC2 weapon flashes and cartridge bullet releases?

-Rick (Chavez_US)